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In the press materials for “Critical Thinking,” producer Carla Berkowitz drops this line about her reaction to reading the true story that inspired the film: “The image and story was haunting and I felt like I had a quantum shift in my perception of chess and who plays it.” The who in question are five Miami-area Black and Latino men who, along with their teacher, Mr. Martinez, brought back to their underprivileged Florida neighborhood the U.S. National Chess Championship. This happened in 1998. The film chronicles the loving camaraderie of the players and the events leading up to their victory.

In that same press release, acclaimed writer and actor John Leguizamo , who plays Martinez and also directs, states that he wanted to make this film because there were very few representations of Latin people on-screen when he was growing up. He also mentioned that the book The Bell Curve  harmfully depicted people of color as being mentally inferior due to our genetics. I wondered if, like me, Leguizamo grew up in an environment where the Black and brown people he knew played chess, so that it wouldn’t seem unusual nor an anomaly that they did. Because Berkowitz’s statement really made me consider what exactly the standard issue chess player was supposed to look like.

Chess has appeared in a lot of movies, from Boaz Yakin ’s “ Fresh ” to Steven Zaillian ’s “Searching for Bobby Fisher” to 2016’s superb Mira Nair film, “ Queen of Katwe .” I even remember it being prevalent in a crappy Gary Coleman TV movie about a smart Black kid. The game always carries the same symbolic qualifier: the person who plays it has a mental capacity for strategy and is intelligent. Chess is often employed to teach life lessons in these movies, to the point where it has become a cliché that just so happens to be used differently depending on who’s playing it. This difference is something that I admit often sticks in my craw, so I found myself wrestling a bit with this movie even though it seemed to be addressing my concern.

Unlike Zaillian’s film, which I guess answers my question of what a “standard issue” chess player is supposed to look like, the protagonists in the other films I’ve mentioned, and in “Critical Thinking,” are people of color whose economical circumstances are far from ideal. This tends to be the model when minorities are seen playing chess in films, which bends the cinematic chess player cliché toward making the ability to play the game the audience’s reason to offer empathy. Sure, they’re broke, probably in crime-ridden areas and may even do a crime or two, but see, they’re smart, so it’s OK to feel for them! This line of thinking has to do with who stereotypically plays chess and who does not.

Leguizamo’s Mr. Martinez speaks to this early in “Critical Thinking” by asking why chess is never associated with brown people despite a Latin man playing a major role in its evolution. “Why don’t you think we know about him?” he asks the students in his critical thinking class before delivering a great, pointed monologue that speaks about how history is taught in schools. The script by Dito Montiel has some sharp commentary about the education system, from what gets funded to the over-reliance on test scores to the differences between Martinez’s inner city school and the posh preppy institutions who fall victim to our heroes on the tournament circuit. There’s a bit more bite than you may be expecting, and the writing is just prickly enough to balance out the moments when the film dives headfirst into its tropes. And there are numerous tropes to swim in; not only is this a sports movie, it’s also an entry in the “Beloved Teacher” genre.

Our chess champion team is comprised of Sedrick Roundtree ( Corwin C. Tuggles ), Ito Paniagua (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), Gil Luna ( Will Hochman ), Rodelay Medina (Angel Curiel) and later, Marcel Martinez ( Jeffry Batista ) who joins the team after dispensing a hustler’s ass-whipping in a speed chess match. Their dialogue is peppered with the language the PG-13 won’t allow but realism will. Martinez is often telling them “watch your mouth” in his class, even if, in his less guarded moments, he’s prone to occasional profanity. Leguizamo gets good performances from each of them, especially in moments where you really feel the bond between teammates, both in the tournaments and in the streets. When they tell each other that they’ve got each other’s backs, there’s a real emotional pull that emanates straight from the actors.

Though this is an inspirational movie, Leguizamo and Montiel never sugarcoat the dangers of the environment their characters inhabit. The potential for violence, temporary homelessness, crime, and police harassment are always hovering in the margins, sometimes even invading the safe space of Martinez’s class or the school. An early sequence that shockingly ends in violence shows how good Leguizamo is at quickly establishing the audience’s tie to a character. When Rivera (Dre C) is thrown into critical thinking class after a disciplinary problem (“my class is not detention!” Martinez yells at frenemy Principal Kesler [ Rachel Bay Jones ]), he immediately runs afoul of Ito. Rivera’s lack of response is due to Spanish being his primary language, which may also have something to do with the infraction that got him sent to this class. Martinez talks to him in Spanish, lectures Ito and all seems well.

Rivera is then brutally assassinated in broad daylight after accidentally bumping into another person on the street. The film is barely 15 minutes old when this happens, but it immediately establishes that “Critical Thinking” has no plans of abandoning reality for its feel-good message. That sense of realism extends to the way the characters bond with, rib, and defend each other. Additionally, Leguizamo plays Martinez as someone who understands the temptations and frustrations of his students’ world. He challenges them to do for themselves because he knows all too well that the system has no intention of lending a helping hand.

Like Nair does in “Queen of Katwe,” Leguizamo also blatantly refuses to impose on poverty any notions of shame or requests for pity. “Chess is the great equalizer,” Martinez tells his team as they navigate snooty tournament heads and appearances against challengers from much posher ‘hoods. Even when things get expectedly dire for some of the characters, “Critical Thinking” remains focused on the characters’ response to the situation, never once stripping them of their dignity for cheap emotional manipulation.

Of all the team members, Sedrick has the most detailed arc. He has a girlfriend, Chanayah ( Zora Casebere ), who is supportive and tougher than she looks, and a father ( Michael Kenneth Williams ) whose sole job here is to fill that chess movie trope of the angry guy who uses chess as a means of brutal domination. Williams is an always welcome presence, but I could have done without him. Still, there is one very good moment where he shows some growth, and his son makes a snide comment that he silently acknowledges as being right.

The chess scenes are good even if you know nothing about chess. I’ve been playing since I was five, so of course I wanted more detailed representations than Leguizamo provides. I found his classroom lessons and the team’s banter about moves fascinating, and every time I was given a good look at a chessboard, I got closer to the screen to investigate. And yet, despite its acknowledgement of my aforementioned issues, I still felt a little itchy watching “Critical Thinking.” I am always game for a movie that makes me reckon with my personal feelings and biases, and I’m glad this one exists because representation will always speak volumes. If nothing else, “Critical Thinking” reminds you what a chess player can look like.

Odie Henderson

Odie "Odienator" Henderson has spent over 33 years working in Information Technology. He runs the blogs Big Media Vandalism and Tales of Odienary Madness. Read his answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire  here .

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Film Credits

Critical Thinking (2020)

117 minutes

John Leguizamo as Mario Martinez

Rachel Bay Jones as Principal Kestel

Michael Kenneth Williams as Mr. Roundtree

Corwin C. Tuggles as Sedrick Roundtree

Jorge Lendeborg Jr. as Ito Paniagua

Angel Bismark Curiel as Rodelay Medina

Will Hochman as Gil Luna

Jeffry Batista as Marcel Martinez

Zora Casebere as Chanayah

• John Leguizamo
• Dito Montiel

Cinematographer

• Zach Zamboni
• Jamie Kirkpatrick
• Chris Hajian

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‘Critical Thinking’ Review: John Leguizamo’s Inspirational High-School Chess Drama

The true story of the Miami Jackson High chess team — five brainy wizards from the inner city — is told in a rousing but conventional way.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

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“ Critical Thinking ” is one of those up-from-the-streets high-school competition movies where just mentioning the true story it’s based on kind of gives the game away. Set in 1998, it’s about the five chess wizards from Miami Jackson High who became the first inner-city chess team to win the National Championship. Boom! But, of course, it’s how they got there that matters, and even if this movie weren’t based on a true story, you’d know more or less know where it’s going. “Critical Thinking” has some appealing young actors, and it’s been directed, by John Leguizamo (who costars as the film’s tough-saint teacher), in a way that gives them the space to clown around and then get serious. It’s still, in the end, a bit of a connect-the-inspirational-dots movie, but that doesn’t mean you won’t be inspired.

Leguizamo plays Mario Martinez, who teaches an elective class in chess at Miami Jackson, where his students call him “Mr. T.” They’re a rowdy, bellicose, street-smart bunch, hard to control in class, so at first we think we’re seeing one of those movies, like “Stand and Deliver” or “To Sir, with Love,” about a captivatingly square gadfly instructor who shows a bunch of underprivileged kids how to transcend the expectations (or lack thereof) that have been thrust upon them.

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In a way, “Critical Thinking” is one of those movies, though with a crucial caveat: The basic training — the intellectual whipping into shape — has all happened before the drama even starts. Martinez, in his thankless underpaid plaid-shirts-off-the-rack way, is beloved by his students, and he has taught them well; they’re chess players who’ve got the game in their blood. (It’s the only thing that gets them to settle down .) Leguizamo, who spent a number of his early one-man stage shows sketching in (often quite brilliantly) the lives of young people from a similar background, knows how to create scenes that bubble with spontaneity. And he himself plays Martinez with an effusive, slightly weary middle-aged demeanor that’s touching, because what he nails is the unabashed corniness of certain great high-school teachers — their willingness to put on a show for their kids, to turn the life of the mind into energized nerd theater.

At one point, using the magnetic chess board at the front of the class, he plays out a chess match authored (and recorded) by Paul Morphy in 1858, and he makes it sound as exciting as something on Roblox. He employs silly accents (Southern, French, Austrian) and puts on wigs and fake beards to enact the game, and he draws the kids into it, challenging them in his geek-with-cool-slang way (“Why is it a wack move, Sedrick? Don’t just talk to me, man, show me!”).

It’s one of the only scenes where we actually witness the mechanics of chess, and while that’s always a challenge for a chess drama (there’s only so much it can lure the lay audience into the heady intricacies of the game), I wish the students’ connection with chess were less of a given, and a little less abstract. Watching “Critical Thinking,” you’d never even know that the art of chess is rooted in thinking several moves ahead. Yet Leguizamo stages the matches with percussive power, the kids pounding their time clocks even as their eyes burrow into the board like lasers.

Much of the film’s appeal lies in the way it revels in chess as a pure symbol of leveling the playing field of opportunity. As Mr. T explains, chess is “the great equalizer.” It doesn’t matter how rich or poor you are, what Ivy League college or prison you’re in: The elemental nature of the game shears away everything but intellectual ability. So in a drama like “Critical Thinking,” where five students (four Latinx and one African-American) bust out of a high school with limited resources to attend a series of tournaments, there’s a democracy-in-action, anyone-can-win-in-America spirit.

The actors are terrific; the roles, as written, less so. Leguizamo is working from a script, by Dito Montiel, that walks the line between lived-in experience and overboiled cliché. Sedrick is played by Corwin Tuggles, who has a great pensive face, and he lends conviction to the character’s struggles at home. But it still feels like a contrivance that his father (Michael Kenneth Williams), an angry curmudgeon who treats his son’s chess victories as if they were beneath contempt, is also…the guy who plays chess with him every day! The other pivotal character is the canny hothead Ito (Jorge Lendeborg Jr,.), who begins to moonlight as a drug dealer, and though it’s not that we don’t buy it, it plays out like one of those obligatory flirtation-with-delinquency subplots from the 1980s.

There’s also a newly arrived immigrant from Cuba who joins the class — a sleek prodigy named Marcel (Jeffrey Batista), who can play (and win) four simultaneous games with his eyes closed. Always good to have someone like that on your team! As likable an actor as Leguizamo is, “Critical Thinking” never generates the teacher/student face-off intensity that “Stand and Deliver” did. The issue of how the team members fund their trips, with Martinez having to win over a skeptical principal (Rachel Bay Jones), creates some tension along the sidelines, yet once these kids start to win their tournaments it seems like they can do no wrong. The picture is pleasant enough, but watching it you’re always one or two moves ahead.

Related: 

Reviewed online, Aug. 31, 2020. MPAA Rating: Not rated. Running time: 113 MIN.

• Production: A Vertical Entertainment release of a Chaplin/Berkowitz production, in association with NRSP, Cinema Veritas. Producers: Scott Rosenfelt, Jason Mandl. Executive producers: Harvey R. Chaplin, Carla Berkowitz, Emilio Estefan Jr.
• Crew: Director: John Leguizamo. Screenplay: Dito Montiel. Camera: Zach Zambone. Editor: Jamie Kirkpatrick. Music: Chris Hajian.
• With: John Leguizamo, Corwin Tuggles, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Will Hochman, Angel Curiel, Jeffrey Batista, Michael Kenneth Williams, Rachel Bay Jones, Zora Casebere.

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‘Critical Thinking’: Review

By Tim Grierson, Senior US Critic 2020-03-14T01:15:00+00:00

John Leguizamo’s directorial debut is the true story of an unlikely championship chess team

‘Critical Thinking’

Dir: John Leguizamo. US. 2019. 117mins

Chronicling the true story of an unlikely championship chess team, Critical Thinking has plenty of heart, which unfortunately can’t make up for its fairly uninspired design and predictable trajectory. Making his feature directorial debut, John Leguizamo (who also stars) digs into the cultural and political dimensions of the true story of an underfunded high school squad that, against all odds, bested players from more privileged communities. This inspirational sports drama has a worthy message — for many kids from difficult backgrounds, an education is crucial for escaping poverty — but viewers may ultimately prefer to have seen a documentary about the real-life participants rather than this earnest, conventional dramatisation.

Fashions itself as a classic underdog tale from the start

Initially programmed for South By Southwest, Critical Thinking will court buyers on the strength of Leguizamo’s marquee value. Fans of feel-good sports movies — especially ones based on real events — should be intrigued, and the up-and-coming cast of young Latinx and African-American actors will appeal to audiences hungry for more diversity on screen.

In Miami in 1998, a dedicated but overworked teacher named Mr. Martinez (Leguizamo) works at one of Dade County’s poorest schools, running a chess class for students who, oftentimes, have very little else that’s positive in their lives. But once young men like Ito (Jorge Lendeborg Jr.), who has to work long hours to support himself, and Sedrick (Corwin Tuggles), who has a disciplinarian father, become experts in the game, Martinez fights to get the school to support a team that will compete in district meets.

Like many recent true-life dramas, Critical Thinking shows the real individuals during the end credits, speaking briefly about their experiences with this chess team. That device has become a bit of a cliché, which unfortunately is fitting for a film that too easily follows the tired tenets of sports dramas. It fashions itself as a classic underdog tale from the start, and nothing that happens in subsequent reels diverts Dito Montiel’s script from its predetermined big-game finale.

That’s a shame because Leguizamo is quite likeable as Martinez, largely staying away from the kinds of showy speeches that plague films of this ilk. This wise but pragmatic teacher, who grew up in the same community as his students, knows that rousing oratory won’t help these kids. Instead, he shows tough love and advocates for chess’s efficient, dispassionate strategising, which might motivate these players to feel like they have control over their destiny. And as a director, Leguizamo does a good job of conveying the controlled chaos of a high school classroom as Martinez relates to his brash, unruly wards, lending those scenes a realistically rambunctious energy.

Lendeborg and Tuggles lead a confident young cast, who often bring sensitivity to roles that are underwritten. Even though the characters are drawn from actual members of the ’98 chess team, Critical Thinking tends to simplify their hardships until they feel like generic coming-of-age plights. (Ito gets involved in selling drugs, while Sedrick’s clashes with his dad, played by Michael Kenneth Williams, don’t have much resonance.) Because Leguizamo has to focus on several students’ arcs, none of their chess exploits are particularly riveting — which makes the team’s journey to the national championship less exciting than it should be.

Still, the movie’s thoughtful tenor isn’t to be discounted. This team will face off against opponents who are often white and privileged, and Critical Thinking consistently asks the audience to consider the racism and daily disadvantages that America’s poorer communities must endure. For these students, chess is the one level playing field they have — the board doesn’t discriminate because of your background, finances or skin colour — and there’s poignancy in the small measure of comfort that provides our characters. But the filmmakers’ willingness to plug their story into an inspirational-drama framework turns out to be a bad move — nuance and insight get sacrificed for reassuring narrative payoffs. 

Production company: Chaplin/Berkowitz Productions

International sales: UTA, [email protected]  

Producers: Scott Rosenfelt, Jason Mandl

Screenplay: Dito Montiel

Production design: Mark Harrington

Editing: Jamie Kirkpatrick

Cinematography: Zach Zamboni

Music: Chris Hajian

Main cast: John Leguizamo, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Angel Bismark Curiel, Will Hochman, Corwin Tuggles, Jeffry Batista, Zora Casebere, Ramses Jimenez, Rachel Bay Jones, Michael Kenneth Williams

• Cannes Market

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Critical Thinking

Where to Watch

John Leguizamo (Mr. Martinez) Rachel Bay Jones (Principal Kestel) Michael Kenneth Williams (Mr. Roundtree) Corwin C. Tuggles (Sedrick Roundtree) Jorge Lendeborg Jr. (Oelmy 'Ito' Paniagua) Angel Bismark (Rodelay Medina) Jeffry Batista (Marcel Martinez) Will Hochman (Gil Luna) Zora Casebere (Chanayah) Ramses Jimenez (Andre)

John Leguizamo

The true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship.

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Critical Thinking

The true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship. The true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship. The true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship.

• John Leguizamo
• Dito Montiel
• Rachel Bay Jones
• Michael Kenneth Williams
• 31 User reviews
• 20 Critic reviews
• 65 Metascore

• Mr. Martinez

• Principal Kestel

• Mr. Roundtree

• Sedrick Roundtree

• Oelmy 'Ito' Paniagua
• (as Jorge Lendeborg)

• Rodelay Medina
• (as Angel Bismark Curiel)

• Marcel Martinez

• Detective Ransone

• Detective Vargas
• Michael Rivera

• Jitney Driver

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Martinez started the after-school chess club in 1992 after his teacher's lounge rounds of chess with another teacher sparked student interest. His playing partner left the school that year and students began challenging him to matches so the club was born.
• Goofs During Ito's game at the regional tournament, both Ito and Martinez say that he is in "Zugzwang". However, in a real "Zugzwang" situation, a player loses only because he is forced to make a move, while Ito lose the same way even if it was his opponent's time to move, as he could take the pawn on d3 with the queen.

Mr. Martinez : All right, now, people, this is gonna be very basic for some of you, but for the fish, or the newbies as I like to call you, this is gonna be eye opening because what you've got is 64 squares, 32 pieces, it doesn't matter how rich or poor you are, what Ivy League school you may go or you may not go to, what prison you hopefully never set foot in, because chess is the great equalizer.

• Crazy credits Over the credits, there are interviews with the real people who the movie is based on.
• Soundtracks What Would You Do Written by Timothy McNealy Performed by Timothy McNealy Published by Afrika Kuruvilla Kurian, BMI

User reviews 31

• Top_Dawg_Critic
• Dec 3, 2020
• How long is Critical Thinking? Powered by Alexa
• September 4, 2020 (United States)
• United States
• Eleştirel Düşünme
• Miami, Florida, USA
• Critical thinking
• Cinema Veritas
• Hialeah Park Studios
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $3,000,000 (estimated)

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 57 minutes

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Critical thinking.

Directed by John Leguizamo

Chess is the great equalizer

Based on a true story from 1998, five Latino and Black teenagers from the toughest underserved ghetto in Miami fight their way into the National Chess Championship under the guidance of their unconventional but inspirational teacher.

John Leguizamo Rachel Bay Jones Michael Kenneth Williams Corwin C. Tuggles Jorge Lendeborg Jr. Angel Bismark Curiel Will Hochman Jeffry Batista Zora Casebere Ramses Jimenez Todd Allen Durkin Brandon Somers Isaac Beverly Ruben E. A. Brown Sydney Arroyo Carlos Guerrero Michele Lepe Tatum Price

Director Director

John Leguizamo

Producers Producers

Scott M. Rosenfelt Jason Mandl Joseph Krutel Elayne Schneiderman Schmidt John J. Brunetti Jr.

Writer Writer

Dito Montiel

Casting Casting

Avy Kaufman

Editor Editor

Jamie Kirkpatrick

Cinematography Cinematography

Zach Zamboni

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

John Leguizamo Carla Berkowitz Emilio Estefan Jr. Harvey Chaplin

Production Design Production Design

J. Mark Harrington

Art Direction Art Direction

Lewis Zucker

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Composer composer.

Chris Hajian

Costume Design Costume Design

Danny Santiago

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Carol Raskin

Cinema Veritas NRSP Perfect Balance

Primary Language

Spoken languages.

English Spanish

Releases by Date

18 dec 2020, 21 jan 2021, 04 sep 2020, 05 may 2021, releases by country, russian federation.

• Theatrical 18+
• Theatrical 輔12級

117 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Dave Taylor ★★½ 5

I know nothing about chess, but based on the overview given in this movie, it is the most random game in the whole world.

I think therein lies the problem for casual viewers checking this out. I watch hockey about as much as I play chess, but I know if the puck goes in the net, the team that put the puck in the net gets a point. They try to film the chess matches in a similar fashion to your standard sports movies, but I didn’t feel any tension mount (except for the last match) because there didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to what pieces were being moved. I only knew the good guys won after…

Review by JBird ★★★

Leguizamo wants his students to Critical Think, Like how to draw or come back from the brink. Although no one planned it, The year of the Gambit, With two chess submissions that don't stink.

Review by Joshua Arispe ★★★ 4

I should probably start off by mentioning that I’m an avid chess player. Chess is the greatest game ever invented and I play it quite often. Some friends of mine also worked on this movie, which I think is pretty cool. So I had many reasons to give Critical Thinking a watch. 

It clicked with me right away. Not as inspiring as it tries to be (thanks to some lame subplots and side characters) but I enjoyed the in-depth look at chess and John Leguizamo as the instantly likeable teacher. Reminded me a lot of Edward James Olmos’ Jaime Escalante from Stand and Deliver . He nails the role and made me wish I had a teacher like him. Hell, I…

Review by Karl ★★★

The true story of a chess team from an underfunded, underserved Florida public high school. Fortunately they have a passionate teacher, Mr. Martinez, who will do whatever it takes to get them to the chess finals in Beverly Hills. Sure it's cliche and you've seen variations of this underdog can-do spirit/inspirational story before, but when it's done right it can be among the most rewarding of viewings.

It's the kind of film that feels great while watching it, but won't likely stay with you, preventing from transcending the formula. The young actors make things worthwhile, particularly Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who has it the roughest of the five players. Also on hand is the late Michael Kenneth Williams. John Leguizamo, who…

Review by Luke Robertson ★★★½

I love this genre of movie. Underdog sports team come together to completely overcome the odds. It’s not my favourite in the genre but it is still a good movie. The cast are decent as well. If you are a fan of high school dramas then I think you’ll enjoy this.

Review by danielle ⚡ ★★ 1

movies can't be formulaic and long like pick a struggle

Review by Tim McClelland ★★★½ 1

There are many films of this type. We've seen the inspirational teacher with the underdog students fighting for their time to shine. When you start watching a film that follows that formula, it will need something special to help it stand out. This movie has cliched elements, but it also has heart and it had me on edge even though I knew the outcome. It took a little time to get me invested, but once I was, I was all in on the movie. It is a great true story so to see it made into a pretty decent film is awesome. I really enjoyed watching this. There is a great story here that has some wonderful characters and it will leave you feeling good. If a movie like this leaves me with a smile on my face, I'd say it did its job just fine.

Review by Justin Decloux ★★★½

I am a sucker for an 'Based on a True Story' underdog sports movie, and the fact that this is about chess (a game I have no interest in playing, but I love due to ti's simple complexity), and stars (and was directed by) John Leguizamo makes this even more my kind of thing. It hits all the expected beats, kind of muddles it's finale (Oh, that's it?), and is directed in a workman like fashion, but I still found it a thrill.

I will continue to not play chess.

Watched for The Bay Street Video Podcast :https://soundcloud.com/thebaystreetvideopodcast

Review by Nicholas Faron ★★★½

I've never understood chess, but hot damn is it exciting to watch (on screen that is).

Review by Jacob Knight ★★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

John Leguizamo’s feature directorial debut is an R-rated, Dito Montiel scripted after school special about inner city Miami kids winning the US National Chess Championship in ‘98. It hits every beat you expect it to, including Leguizamo (who plays the boys’ coach/teacher/mentor) reading poetry to his class, and even has one of the would-be champs return to the streets to sell drugs for a local assassin after he loses his job. And you know what? That’s fine, because even though Leguizamo isn’t a born filmmaker (the direction here is the very definition of “workmanlike”) he injects street smarts and a POV that, when combined with the troupe young/non-actors, makes it all feel lived-in as opposed to schmaltzy (which, I mean, it still totally is). Maybe I’m just a sucker for this sort of thing, but the amount of screen time devoted to the strategic history of chess alone made the dorkier parts of my brain light up.

Review by waz ★★★½ 2

Coach Carter meets Fresh meets The Queen’s Gambit . There’s truly nothing more exhilarating than seeing two individuals duke it out on one of the most ancient boardgames in history.

With the release of The Queens Gambit  as well as the sudden surge by many popular Twitch streamers, 2020 was a great year for chess that brought hundreds of newcomers to the game. Although this film in particular may have slipped under the radar during the chess boom, it has plenty of heart to it and finishes on a strong, inspirational note. There’s a bit of something for all chess players to be able to relate to or enjoy here whether it’s seeing the camaraderie within a tight-knit team or the familiar intrigue of…

Review by Jeremy Kremser ★★★

My dad didn’t make a single racially charged comment during this whole movie it’s a Christmas miracle

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Critical Thinking Reviews

John Leguizamo’s Critical Thinking is a strategic crowd-pleaser.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 9, 2022

It’s difficult to not become invested in a light-hearted story with good intentions, even when the storytelling feels scattershot at times.

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jun 5, 2022

A smart and solid directing debut.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5 / 5 | Jun 25, 2021

This drama is the classic story of an underdog team overcoming the odds and making it all the way; unfortunately, it falls back on stereotypical characterizations to tell its tale.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | May 19, 2021

The film questions the failures of the educational system through the experiences of a group of students of Latin and African American background [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Jan 8, 2021

This is a movie for this moment, one that offers hope to the marginalized without pandering to them or offering up insincere platitudes.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4.0 | Nov 27, 2020

an engaging and moving reminder that externally imposed limitations are meant to be shattered

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 21, 2020

The endearing cast generates hard-earned sympathy to keep the underdog clichés in check.

Full Review | Sep 19, 2020

It's filmed as if a conventional docudrama.

Full Review | Original Score: B- | Sep 13, 2020

Critical Thinking is worth a look for people who want to see a real-life inspirational story portrayed in a familiar way. The believable performances from most of the cast go a long way in preventing the movie from sinking into forgettable mediocrity.

Full Review | Sep 12, 2020

[It] captures the appeal of chess without defaulting to a white perspective of these students. It may be overly familiar at times, but just like the game of chess itself, sometimes it's the smallest moves that end up making the biggest difference.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 11, 2020

John Leguizamo managed to make chess interesting while telling this true story of a Miami, Florida teacher. He inspired his students and to a degree the movie inspires us all.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Sep 9, 2020

You won't find a lot of surprises in this story, but then the reason these formulas are so familiar is because they work.

Full Review | Sep 8, 2020

When John Leguizamo is just flowing with those kids... this movie is as good as any other [classroom drama].

Full Review | Sep 5, 2020

Director and Star John Leguizamo makes all the right moves in bringing story of underdog high school chess team to the screen.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Sep 5, 2020

It's the kind of movie that gives you hope for America.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Sep 4, 2020

If nothing else, Critical Thinking reminds you what a chess player can look like.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 4, 2020

The story of Critical Thinking may be familiar and seem clichéd, but there's a specificity to its storytelling that's anything but those qualities.

Leguizamo's storytelling, while conventional, features lively interactions, embraceable characters and credibly depicted struggles. The tournament scenes contain sports-movie adrenaline.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Sep 3, 2020

This heartfelt drama about a rough-and-tumble group of high-schoolers who claw their way to a national chess tournament has a sweetness that softens its flaws.

Full Review | Sep 3, 2020

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Movie Review: Critical Thinking

John Leguizamo is an easily recognisable actor who has become known for his trademarks: fast-talking and a feisty attitude. From Casualties of War to Romeo + Juliet , Moulin Rouge , John Wick and Ice Age , Leguizamo has built his film career on sharp and funny supporting performances. He directed himself in the boxing drama Undefeated and returns to do so once again in the coming-of-age drama, Critical Thinking . Staying in the sporting arena, whatever your feelings on chess, Critical Thinking is centred on contest and strategy and loosely based on the true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team’s road to the U.S. National Chess Championship.

There have been many coming-of-age dramas about students who achieve greatness and grow in character by learning and excelling at the chequered game of Kings and Queens. Queen of Katwe , Four Corners and Life of a King have all leveraged the game’s metaphorical extensions. Critical Thinking fits into this trend, leaning on some underdog sports drama plotting and storytelling devices. While predictable as a blend of Dangerous Minds , Life of a King and Spare Parts , there aren’t many filmgoers who can honestly say they’d prefer not to be moved by a triumph of the human spirit story.

The sports drama latches onto the inspirational teacher and diversity of Dangerous Minds , combining the motivation to help at-risk youth find meaning from Life of a King and drives it home with the feel good fun and formula of Spare Parts . While this ultimately adds up to a satisfying, stirring and crowdpleasing experience, this film does manage to distinguish itself from the subgenre’s fast food feel. While these glory stories can become a bit cloying and dull, Critical Thinking largely manages to overcome these cliches and setbacks.

“This isn’t a Jedi mind trick.”

Directed by and starring John Leguizamo, you can tell this is a passion project based on his charismatic and entertaining lead performance as the team’s teacher and mentor. In front of and behind camera, he’s found the perfect role as a teacher and mentor able to coach his actors to better performances by leading out front with one of his more subdued takes. Flanked by Rachel Bay Jones and Michael Kenneth Williams in small supporting roles, the bulk of the acting falls on Corwin C. Tuggles, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Angel Bismark Curiel, Jeffry Batista and Will Hochman with Leguizamo as Mr Martinez. Showcasing an up-and-coming cast, they’re energised by good writing and realistic characters creating a lively spirit.

Leguizamo is known for his energy and versatility, channeling quiet intensity into the chess games themselves as the team rise up in confidence and stature. Slamming chess pieces, checking clocks with force and emphasising speed of play, Critical Thinking is ironically not as cerebral as you’d expect and doesn’t require a good understanding of the game either. There’s fire to the performances, charm in their team dynamics and infectious spirit in their aspirations as they look beyond themselves.

Bolstered by a timely theme around reclaiming one’s own heritage and history, it’s much more than just an underdog tale with chess coming to represent the strategic decisions one is faced with on a day-to-day basis. Chiming in with some smart dialogue and relatable characters, the language is coarse but justifiably reflective of the classroom environment and flippant atmosphere. Nursing a subplot involving the dangerous neighbourhood and affects of crime, there are a number of layers to an otherwise straightforward retelling of a real-life underdog glory story. Critical Thinking may lean on a familiar structure but moves at a good pace, remaining entertaining and distinguishing itself through its thoughtful script and engaging performances.

The bottom line: Entertaining

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Critical thinking, common sense media reviewers.

Underdog chess team defies odds but plays into stereotypes.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Positive themes of teamwork and defiance against t

Main characters are depicted as underdogs whose su

Frequent gun use. One character is abruptly shot a

Occasional kissing.

Frequent use of the words "f--k," "s--t," and "ass

Adults get drunk. Underage characters smoke cigare

Parents need to know that Critical Thinking is a fact-based drama about a high school chess team from an underserved community that defies the odds to make it to the U.S. National Chess Championship. Directed by and starring John Leguizamo, the movie has frequent swearing ("f--k," "s--t," etc.), underage…

Positive Messages

Positive themes of teamwork and defiance against the odds are prevalent. While it exposes some of the broken systems in public education, it fails to fully portray its teen characters' humanity, contributing to problematic stereotypes.

Positive Role Models

Main characters are depicted as underdogs whose success goes against everyone's expectations. Some show determination, but most play into stereotypes associated with Black and Latinx teens from under-resourced communities -- i.e., unmotivated, unintelligent jokesters. That makes it seem like their success is because of some paradoxical talent instead of their strength of character. Failure to see these kids' humanity contributes to their stereotyping, on-screen and off.

Violence & Scariness

Frequent gun use. One character is abruptly shot and killed. Another character is punched and strangled to death. Parents emotionally abuse children.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Frequent use of the words "f--k," "s--t," and "ass."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Adults get drunk. Underage characters smoke cigarettes. Drug dealing.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Critical Thinking is a fact-based drama about a high school chess team from an underserved community that defies the odds to make it to the U.S. National Chess Championship. Directed by and starring John Leguizamo , the movie has frequent swearing ("f--k," "s--t," etc.), underage cigarette smoking, drug dealing, punching, strangling, and gun violence that results in death. Parents emotionally abuse children. While positive themes of teamwork and overcoming challenges are prevalent, the movie's Black and Latinx teens are stereotypically depicted as unintelligent with little work ethic and their success as an anomaly. Rachel Bay Jones and Michael Kenneth Williams co-star. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

In CRITICAL THINKING, teacher Mr. T ( John Leguizamo ) oversees an unofficial detention hall at Miami Jackson Senior High School, where students are sent if they're deemed troublesome. Mr. T seizes the opportunity to start a chess team, all while navigating limited resources, a school with little faith in his students' abilities, and the stressors of his students' turbulent personal lives. When the team starts to succeed, the students come up with creative fundraisers to pay for travel and lodging at their competitions. But none of this is easy. One teen faces pressures at home from an emotionally abusive father who resents his son's talents. Another is pulled into dealing drugs to make ends meet. All the while, Mr. T is the loving, encouraging adult they crave.

Is It Any Good?

This drama is the classic story of an underdog team overcoming the odds and making it all the way; unfortunately, it falls back on stereotypical characterizations to tell its tale. The Miami Jackson team seems to be in this position because its members -- Black and Latinx teens from under-resourced communities -- have historically underestimated identities. The film plays on the biases that are often held about these identities by depicting the teens as shiftless and unfocused. They're careless in their fundraising efforts, they try to pass notes during tournaments, and they use the threat of physical violence to intimidate their opponents.

Their chess skills are an afterthought, making their success feel like an anomaly. And it certainly doesn't help that a White teen joins the team as they gain momentum and becomes their shining star -- teaching the other kids new chess moves and giving them vocabulary lessons. He's the only teen character whose background, personal life, and stressors aren't explored. So while Critical Thinking is diverse in its casting and exposes some of the broken systems in public education, it misses the mark in humanizing its characters. The failure to see these kids' humanity contributes to their stereotyping, on-screen and off.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Critical Thinking handles stereotypes and biases. Can media offer positive representations while still promoting stereotypical characterizations?

What does Critical Thinking teach viewers about student engagement and the importance of teaching things in a fun way?

What role does teamwork play in Critical Thinking ? Why is it an important character strength ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : September 4, 2020
• On DVD or streaming : September 4, 2020
• Cast : John Leguizamo , Rachel Bay Jones , Michael Kenneth Williams
• Director : John Leguizamo
• Inclusion Information : Latino directors, Latino actors, Female actors
• Studio : Vertical Entertainment
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : High School
• Character Strengths : Teamwork
• Run time : 117 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : February 19, 2023

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Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – Critical Thinking (2020)

August 31, 2020 by Robert Kojder

Critical Thinking , 2020.

Directed by John Leguizamo. Starring John Leguizamo, Rachel Bay Jones, Michael Kenneth Williams, Corwin C. Tuggles, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Angel Bismark Curiel, Will Hochman, Jeffry Batista, Zora Casebere, Ramses Jimenez, Sydney Arroyo, Brandon Somers, and Isaac Beverly.

The true story of the Miami Jackson High School chess team which was the first inner city team to win the U.S. National Chess Championship.

Chess is looked down upon as a high school elective course. It’s frowned upon and disregarded so much that even though the very nature of the game promotes, well, critical thinking, to the rest of the school it’s just a class where slackers and/or troubled students can take to get an easy passing mark. They, and realistically most schools, would rather fund physical sports such as football while handwaving away the fact chess is about brainpower and all-inclusive regardless of socioeconomic status. John Leguizamo’s Mario Martinez ( Critical Thinking also marks his directorial debut, discounting a made-for-TV action project about a boxer) voices this frustration verbally and directly to principal Kestel (Rachel Bay Jones), and due to the actor’s always likable fiery persona and logic, it’s easy to get on board with the sentiment.

Based on the 1998 Miami Jackson High School chess team, the story also focuses on a small group of LatinX and Black students that actually enjoying chess and testing their minds whether it’s to take their minds off of the crime surrounding them or their rough personal lives which range from dysfunctional families to temptation into drug dealing as a means to hopefully escape poverty. There’s plenty of characters that make for plenty of choices and consequences, similar to an actual game of chess.

Most notable is Sedrick Roundtree (Corwin C. Tuggles) who lives with his bitter father (the reliable Michael Kenneth Williams making the most out of a somewhat underdeveloped character) that lies around the house all day grieving his tragically deceased wife while holding and staring at pictures of her (sometimes the film is not subtle.) Dad also happens to be a decent chess player himself as father and son occasionally square off (albeit heatedly; it’s far from traditional bonding) while lambasting Sedrick’s ambitions of stepping up his game and seeing as far as his team can go in the playoffs. College football players have won the Heisman Trophy and gone nowhere in life, so what are a bunch of chess trophies going to do for anyone?

That’s his father’s logic; he’s a cynical and nearly broken man. Again, there is a supremely talented actor embodying the character but limited material, and perhaps more frustratingly, like quite a few characters is just dropped from the narrative eventually. It doesn’t help that Critical Thinking has a fairly abrupt ending that is only concerned with winning and losing rather than how the success story is going to alter their lives. We don’t even get any pre-credits random facts about what any of the students went on to do in life.

While some of the subplots are all over the place, it’s safe to say that John Leguizamo has a clear direction when it comes to not only presenting chess as a tense game (feelings heightened by wonderful music from Chris Hajian that evokes the brainiac thinking from these kids in a race against the clock making moves across various tournament matchups), but educating when it comes to the basics and specifics of the game itself, both as a director and actor. There are long sequences that can be simply summarized as Mr. Martinez lecturing on famous chess games, historical chess players, and how history itself goes beyond whatever information is being suppressed by the white people writing the textbooks. He’s such a magnetic actor that it’s easy to buy these teenagers coming from a seemingly awful part of the country that has basically nothing, engaging his cheesy inspirational speeches (it had to be an easy choice for him to play the role himself instead of casting someone). The R rating also helps, giving the students the freedom to be authentic and break out into bad habits of their own (at one point they try selling drug-laced bakery treats to raise funding to travel to one of their tournament games.)

It’s a delight watching these impoverished students battle uphill against all odds becoming a success story; it doesn’t feel like overdramatic feel-good nonsense, likely because John Leguizamo knows how to mix the bleak reality of ghetto life into uplifting sports drama. There’s definitely a few more characters than necessary and one or two plot threads that could use a little more, but what’s in Critical Thinking is intelligent enough and succinctly portrays chess as a metaphor for life. John Leguizamo has always been a terrific character actor, so it brings joy to report that his timely chess club underdog directorial debut comes with spirit and bite.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check  here  for new reviews, friend me on Facebook, follow my  Twitter  or  Letterboxd , check out my personal non-Flickering Myth affiliated  Patreon , or email me at [email protected]

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'Critical Thinking' Review: John Leguizamo Turns Inner-City Teens Into Chess Champs In This Powerful, Inspiring Drama

There are plenty of movies where inner-city kids with troubled lives get inspired by their teachers. But you've never seen one like Critical Thinking , which takes that formula and puts a different kind of intellectual twist on it by focusing on a group of Black and Latinx kids in 1998 who were determined to become national chess champions. In the face of underwhelming support by school administrators, troubled family dynamics, and a world that never gives them the opportunities they deserve, these kids were driven to be better than the criminals or underachievers everyone expected them to be. And it's all thanks to a teacher who never gave up on them.

John Leguizamo stars as Mr. Mario Martinez, a teacher at Miami Jackson Senior High School who leads an elective course called "Critical Thinking," which is basically a class where kids learn how to play chess and apply the mentality it takes to play the game to their own lives. He attempts to stimulate his class intellectually as much as he can, even Cornelia, the girl who never wants to answer any questions and really doesn't care about what's going on in class. But no matter how often he's rebuffed, even when she says she's not there during attendance, he never stops giving her a chance.

There are four breakout students in the class who form the school's chess team that is hungry to become national chess champions. Sedrick ( Corwin Tuggles ) is the most dedicated and hard-working of the group who has to deal with a father ( Michael K. Williams ) constantly trying to bring him down, whether it's by beating him in chess or by completely being checked out of his life, having never recovered after the death of Sedrick's mother. Ito ( Jorge Lendeborg Jr. ) has a short fuse but a passion for the game, though he's constantly having to work late to support his family, making it difficult for him to balance tournaments and responsibility. It leaves him constantly contemplating taking the wrong path just to make ends meet. Rodelay ( Angel Bismark Curiel ) is the mouthy one in the group, sometimes a little too cocky, but also a fiercely loyal friend. And finally, Gil ( Will Hochman ), who comes aboard the team despite having a confrontation with Sedrick awhile back after Gil accidentally stepped on his sneaker and got a punch in the face for his troubles. There's also Jeffry Batista who comes into play in the second half of the movie as a student named Marcel, and I don't want to spoil how, but just know that he brings a unique presence to the team as well.

Each of these kids have their own struggles and shortcomings, but they become a tight-knit group. While it might sound like Critical Thinking has familiar Disney-like sensibilities that we've seen in plenty of their sports movies, including the chess-based film The Queen of Katwe , let me tell you that this movie is much more raw and far less sappy. It doesn't hold back the reality of the danger these kids face everyday, and it doesn't play nice when it comes to teachable moments throughout. It's an honest portrayal of these broken school systems that have to contend with teens who are on the verge of becoming criminals every day, mostly because they're just a product of the environment around them. That's established early on in the movie with a shocking turn of events.

Unfortunately, due to the school's constant struggle with misbehavior, the Critical Thinking class occasionally becomes a makeshift sort of detention for students acting out. We're not necessarily talking about kids who are actively choosing to make trouble, but teens who are merely a product of their corrupt and even criminal environment, teens with parents who are already sending them down the wrong path, kids who have to work school nights to help their family get by. One of these kids ends up in the class for the day, but isn't really keen to engage during school. However, when the bell rings, he swipes a chess set to take home, clearly wanting to do something more than be obstinate. Sadly, he never gets a chance to prove it, because an altercation on the way home results in him suddenly being shot in the head by a drug dealer.

This moment, which happens very early in the movie, completely threw me for a loop and sent my jaw to the floor. What felt like the predictable beginning of an inspiring story about this kid who turns his life around by taking in an interest in chess was literally stopped dead in its tracks. This scene sets up the lingering presence of either the threat of becoming a cog in the crime machine or a victim of it. It's business as usual for this urban school, tragic but ultimately expected in this part of Miami. These kids are always faced with opportunities, sometimes even encouragement, to throw their lives away instead of following any dreams they might have to be more than a criminal statistic. Here, it takes courage to have ambition and be smart, because it could end up getting you killed.

Even more credit goes to the stellar young cast for bringing these characters to life with such raw, natural passion. Corwin Tuggles brings a quiet power to Sedrick, who always seems to be contemplating his next step into the future. Angel Bismark Curiel puts on a tough, smart-ass exterior as Rodelay, but touchingly shows his vulnerable, softer side in one particularly powerful moment that you'll know when you see it. Will Hochman brings a subtlety to Gil as the white kid who feels a little out of place in a school full of kids of color. They're also a big part of making chess exciting on screen, largely thanks to their tactics to shake up their opponents a bit, but also due to the laser focus and speed they bring during matches.

But for me, the most remarkable performance comes from Jorge Lendeborg Jr., who you might remember from movies like Bumblebee or Alita: Battle Angel , and should go out of your way to see in Brigsby Bear and Love, Simon . His character Ito has the most heavy-lifting to do in this film as the one kid who struggles most with his future. Ito has the pressure of trying to support his family, tempted by the opportunity to make more money by working the streets for a local drug dealer. Lendeborg Jr. brings an intensity to this role that lingers in his eyes throughout every scene. There are several moments throughout the film where you can feel the emotion bubbling within him, trying not to let tears roll down his face as he attempts to maintain a tough exterior. This is the fear of a kid who is trying to be tough but can't help but feel lost and scared at the same time. It's truly a breakout performance.

What's great about Critical Thinking is it doesn't gloss over the challenges that inner-city kids face everyday, and it doesn't try to sugarcoat them either. Furthermore, unlike some movies that feature a group of urban teens inspired by a teacher and their lessons, it doesn't make it seem like merely winning a chess tournament will make all the problems in their lives go away. It's one victory that might make everything else feel less overwhelming, at least for a little bit.

More importantly, Critical Thinking just might inspire more teens who feel stuck in this same position to take a chance on something. The reason representation matters is because it's truly inspiring to see someone who looks like you achieving something that you didn't know was possible. There's a pivotal scene in Critical Thinking where Mr. Martinez talks with his class about Black and Latinx innovators and pioneers being erased from history books, because they were written by white men. Leguizamo's character says:

"I want to ask you that whenever you don't see a familiar image that you feel like you can relate to in whatever it is that you're moved by, that you dig deeper than your dusty old Britannica Encyclopedia. We people of color have been everywhere since time and memoriam, and if you pick up one of these bad boys, and you open it up, and you don't recognize yourself, I hope you realize that this was their oversight. That this was their mistake to paint you out."

It's a speech that doesn't feel contrived or ham-fisted and it's unfortunately all too relevant as the crux of the movie's message. With Critical Thinking , John Leguizamo has delivered an outstanding directorial achievement that isn't just inspiring because some kids won a chess tournament. It's inspiring because a group of kids who are often overlooked and shoved aside chose to push forward, ignore everyone who counted them out, and achieved something that they could truly be proud of. Perhaps more importantly, it gives the next generation a chance to see themselves in future history books.

/Film Rating: 9 out of 10

The Bikeriders review: Jodie Comer ensures you pay attention to this violent, sometimes tragic biker-gang saga

This flawed, fascinating film, also starring austin butler and tom hardy, resists the hollow allure of cheap tribalism.

The Bikeriders: Jodie Comer and Austin Butler in Jeff Nichols's film. Photograph: Kyle Kaplan/Focus Features

It hardly needs to be said that Jeff Nichols ’s fascinating study of 1960s biker life is steeped in mythology and elegy. That world has been nearly as romanticised as has the old west (and often in similar manifest-destiny fashion). What does surprise here is the information that, even before the rock era had properly begun, the gangs knew they were acting out codified legends.

Speaking in Tom Hardy ’s singsong goose voice, Johnny, leader of the gang, lets us know he got the idea for Vandals MC, a Chicago-based motorcycle club, when watching Marlon Brando on telly in The Wild One. Yes, there is something of the pioneer days here. But there is also something of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.

[  Jeff Nichols on his film The Bikeriders: ‘For me it’s a combination of two things – Danny Lyon’s book and GoodFellas’  ]

The Bikeriders is, nonetheless, keen to press home how hard these characters work to shut out the surrounding world. Jodie Comer takes a wild vocal swing as our guide through a now lost era. Nichols, versatile director of Shotgun Stories , Take Shelter and Loving , has Mike Faist as the young Danny Lyon, author of the source documentary-photography book, gathering quotes after one generation of the gang has dispersed. Comer plays Kathy, partner to Austin Butler ’s Benny, in the style of Judy Holiday voicing a cartoon rabbit. It’s a stretch, but she ensures you pay attention to her violent, sometimes tragic saga.

Or is that the word? Sagas tend to move along propulsive narrative arcs. Taking its shape (or shapelessness) from Lyon’s book, the film spends more time sketching out vignettes than telling us a story. Kathy ended up hooked to Benny when, in classic rock’n’roll-rebel fashion, he parked his bike outside her house and refused to leave until her boyfriend quit the scene.

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This is the sort of stalker behaviour that dubious 1980s films felt romantic, but, in The Bikeriders, it counts as one manifestation of a wider arrested development among the overwhelmingly male bikers. Everyone wants to be a greasier Brando. “I’ve had nothing but trouble since I met Benny,” squawks Jenny. “It can’t be love. It must be stupidity.”

The Nichols regular Michael Shannon turns up to spout suspicion of “pinkos” and to remind us that there was an inherent conservatism to this subculture. Norman Reedus, mouth like an ashtray full of shelled cockles, arrives from California with news of greater decay beyond the Rockies. The milieu is convincingly evoked as the film sinks deeper into a lake of beer enclosed in a bubble of leather.

For all that, there is little sense of Nichols connecting emotionally, sexually or spiritually with this world. Still images promise a degree of homoeroticism, but anyone looking for shades of Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising is in for a disappointment. The film is even-handedly asexual in its dealings with its many men and its two or three women.

Nichols also seems to be consciously resisting the temptation to ramp up the rock as the riders hit open road. The tracks are there all right – I Feel Free by Cream, Down on the Street by The Stooges, Baby Please Don’t Go by Them – but they are mixed too low to invite any pounding of the air. It’s as if he is afraid of falling for the hollow allure of cheap tribalism. Maybe a little too afraid for those expecting Easy Rider (a film explicitly referenced).

Nichols does, nonetheless, give into the elegiac as the film crests the 1970s and the white-bread United States – almost entirely unobserved here – reasserts its hold on popular culture. Most contemporary westerns end up mourning a vanished era of compromised freedom. The Bikeriders doesn’t quite believe in that myth, but it still finds time to dampen a handkerchief as its shadow recedes. A flawed, fascinating film.

The Bikeriders is in cinemas from Friday, June 21st

Donald Clarke

Donald Clarke, a contributor to The Irish Times, is Chief Film Correspondent and a regular columnist

IN THIS SECTION

Kevin bacon: ‘a lot of actors say they’re really shy. that’s bullsh*t. you want people to look at you’, four new films to see this week, ‘the intimacy co-ordinators are kind of unshockable’: emma stone on her new film with yorgos lanthimos, paul mescal’s fashion sense: how does he get away with it, the movie quiz: if titanic is the highest grossing winner of the best picture oscar, what comes second, eight years after seeking asylum in garda station ‘i walked out in uniform’, ‘i am absolutely overwhelmed’: natasha o’brien attends solidarity protest in limerick, full list of the more than 215 aer lingus flight cancellations, ‘i thought i was going to die’: dublin man describes surviving plane crash in remote part of alaska, ‘we are appalled’: rugby club expels player convicted of rape, latest stories, neglected dublin theatre could be in line for a revival, two notices pinned up in a country pub offer an insight into the paradox of eamon ryan, nvidia is the new king of the stock market, no, irish women don’t need to ‘breed more’. but some would like to have more children, ‘condemned for bringing politics into sport’: the irish cyclists who caused chaos at the olympics.

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Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

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• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

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